Despite all the uncertainty surrounding the labor agreement negotiations between the owners and players' union, six or more NFL coaches are likely to be thrown overboard by the end of the week.

John Fox in Carolina has already been told he is coaching the Panthers for the final time today. Marvin Lewis in Cincinnati, Eric Studesville in Denver, Jim Tomsula in San Francisco, Tom Coughlin with the Giants, Jack Del Rio in Jacksonville and perhaps Leslie Frazier in Minnesota could be fired.

Browns president Mike Holmgren is expected to add Eric Mangini to the list of the unemployed within 48 hours.

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There is some thought the owners would be reluctant to pay a new coach during a lockout while continuing to pay a fired coach, but most owners are not that tight-fisted. Plus, the contracts of Fox and Lewis are up. Studesville, Frazier, Tomsula and Jason Garrett in Dallas are interim head coaches.

A rush to fill vacancies with big names led by Jon Gruden and Fox will begin quickly, and the Browns will be part of it if Mangini is fired. Holmgren would have the inside track on Gruden because they coached together in San Francisco and Green Bay.

There is an easy way for Holmgren to avoid the rush, crush and bidding war. He can name himself head coach.

It would be the smoothest transition the Browns have ever had switching from one coach to another. Holmgren is out at practice most days dressed like a coach, anyway

Holmgren is 62, and most men in his age range close the door on the work room before 1 a.m. But coaching is still in his blood, and he has been away from it only two years.

Holmgren works well with General Manager Tom Heckert,

since it was Holmgren who hired Heckert, so there would be no clash of philosophies. They have their quarterback, Colt McCoy, in place, and McCoy is suited for the horizontal passing attack that is the basis of the West Coast offense.

Heckert would know exactly the type of player Holmgren would want on offense and defense because they worked together in the 2009 offseason to add key free agents Scott Fujita and Ben Watson. The 2010 draft was the Browns' best in the last 12 years.

Holmgren has never closed the door on coaching. He dropped hints during news conferences that he might return to the sideline. In November, he said he would stay with the Browns for the full five years of his contract, but he also said he might not want to wear a suit all five years. That sure sounds like someone who wants to trade a tie for a whistle.

With Mike Singletary out in San Francisco, Holmgren's name has naturally been linked to the 49ers' coaching job. He was born and raised in San Francisco. He was the 49ers' quarterback coach and offensive coordinator from 1988-91 after two years as their quarterbacks coach. Plus, he has homes in Seattle and Arizona.

No signs point to Holmgren bailing. Singletary's job was shaky at the start of the season, so it is no surprise the 49ers collapsed and he was fired. If Holmgren wanted that job, he could have waited for it.

There are options for head coach if Holmgren declines to coach again after eight years on the sideline in Green Bay and nine more in Seattle. None would be as appealing to fans.

This would be Holmgren's last chance if he ever is going to coach again -- unless he decides to give Mangini one more year. He is not going to handpick a coach and then fire him after two years. In four years, his contract would be up. He'd be 66, and that might be late in life for him to start coaching again.

Filling out a staff would be no problem. He might decide to keep some of Mangini's assistants, such as special teams coordinator Brad Seely and offensive line coach George Warhop.

Holmgren would have his choice of offensive coordinators. One name to keep in mind is Brad Childress, who was fired as Vikings coach this season. He could also coax Senior Advisor to the President Gil Haskell

back to the sideline. Haskell was Holmgren's offensive coordinator in Seattle.

The drawback: Haskell turns 68 in September.

Holmgren could sell Gruden or even Fox to Browns fans. Gruden was 40-28 in Oakland and won a Super Bowl in Tampa. Fox won three division titles in Carolina, most recently in 2008. The Panthers are 2-13, but he did not all of a sudden become a bad coach.

Marty Mornhinweg, the offensive coordinator in Philadelphia, is another possibility. He was 5-27 in two years coaching the Lions. Nobody wins coaching the Lions.

But is time for the Big Show in Cleveland. If Holmgren is going to make a change, the man he sees in the mirror when he shaves every morning is the best option.

Big changes coming

How many guys are playing their last game for the Browns today? Expect a big turnover, especially on defense, no matter who the head coach is next year. The Browns are old and slow for the most part in their front seven, especially without the injured Fujita, and that is reflected in the run defense. It is difficult to judge how good a coach is if he has precious little talent to coach.

David Bowens and Eric Barton were rookies in the Browns' expansion year. That's how long they've been playing. And they start for the Browns behind a defensive line whose only legitimate starter is nose tackle Ahtyba Rubin.

Fifteen players are 30 or older, and seven of them are starters.

Eighteen are in their fourth, fifth or sixth seasons, which for many players, depending on their position, are their peak years. But of that group of 18, only seven are starters.

Seven players are in their fourth season. The only starter from that group is left tackle Joe Thomas.

Eight starters are rookies or in their second or third year.

When it unraveled

If one play could be the turning point for a 5-10 team, that play for the Browns was Chansi Stuckey fumbling in overtime against the Jets.

Stuckey caught a pass for a 14-yard gain and a first down at the Jets' 32. The ball was stripped as he was fighting for extra yardage and the Jets recovered. Had Stuckey just fallen at the 32, Phil Dawson could have kicked a field goal. But that isn't what happened, and the Jets won the game with 16 seconds left because three defenders missed tackling Santonio Holmes.

Fujita suffered a season-ending knee injury in the Jets game and Josh Cribbs has not been the same since injuring his foot in the second quarter.

Had the Browns beaten the Jets after beating the Saints and Patriots, they would have had momentum going into Jacksonville. Instead, McCoy was sacked six times and the defense gave up 75 yards on a screen pass. The Browns lost, 24-20.

The Browns won only twice after losing to the Jets, and they got lucky in both games. They beat the Panthers, 24-23, because Panthers kicker John Kasay missed a field goal, and they beat the Dolphins, 13-10, in part because Dolphins defensive back Nolan Carroll dropped an interception he could have returned for a touchdown when the score was 10-10.

Information for the NFL notebook was gathered by personal interviews and from other beat writers around the league. Schudel can be reached by e-mail at: